AMLT Relaunches Flagship Native Stewardship Corps Program

By Adam French, AMLT Director of Programs & Noah Orth, AMLT Native Stewardship Corps Manager

On August 4, the Amah Mutsun Land Trust accomplished the long-awaited relaunch of its Native Stewardship Corps (NSC) program. After an extended period of program evaluation, visioning, and reorganization led by AMLT staff, and involving input from the Tribe and close organizational partners, the necessary systems, facilities, and program staff were all finally in place to welcome a group of eight Mutsun Tribal members into the NSC and its residential base in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

*NSC and AMTB members meet with a group of Indigenous visitors from Belize at Henry Cowell State Park in mid September*

Recent weeks have focused on detailed orientations to the Ocean and Coastal Program, the Native Plant Program, and the Cultural Burning Program. Each week has blended classroom time, site visits, and hands-on field activities, with highlights including sea kayaking in Elkhorn Slough, nursery work to support an upcoming riparian restoration project in Mutsun territory, and participation in an inter-tribal cultural burning workshop that brought together indigenous fire experts from across the state to discuss cultural burning at Quiroste Valley and other AMLT stewardship sites.

*Discussing the history of indigenous burning at Quiroste Valley Cultural Preserv*

This new iteration of the program brings important changes including more developed learning curricula, better-defined policies and HR systems, and additional resources and benefits to support crew health and wellbeing. The fundamental purpose of the program, however, remains unchanged: engaging Tribal members in cultural relearning, professional development, research training, and on-the-ground stewardship of the ancestral lands of the Mutsun and Awaswas-speaking peoples. Structured as a 2-year commitment that begins with a broad introduction to AMLT’s core programs and the building of key skills, and develops towards specialization in one programmatic area in the second year, the NSC is centered around preparing new generations of Mutsun leaders and culture bearers to fulfill the Tribe’s obligation to care for Mother Earth and all her inhabitants.

The new cohort of Native Stewards brings a wide range of experience to the program, from crew members who have only had introductory tastes of AMLT’s work through Summer Camp and the Internship Program to those who have served in different capacities with AMLT for years–in one instance for more than a decade. Similarly, crewmembers’ initial interests in specific program areas are diverse, from Stewards currently envisioning a career in marine biology or intrigued by research SCUBA diving, to others drawn to native plant propagation and cultural burning. Given the team’s motivations and curiosities, we are all excited to see how Steward’s interests evolve as the program unfolds.

Programming kicked off with a week of orientation to AMLT policies and programs, discussion of shared expectations around work and residential life, some teambuilding activities, and an overview of resources available to the crew through our partners at the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley (IHCSCV). The second week was dedicated to a Wilderness Advanced First Aid course taught by AERIE Backcountry Medicine, which helped emphasize the fundamental role of risk management and safety for the program, while preparing the crew to respond to incidents and emergencies if ever needed.

*First aid training in the outdoor classroom*

As autumn unfolds, the NSC will continue to work across AMLT’s diverse programs, transitioning from the orientation phase into greater participation in ongoing stewardship activities and developing projects. This work will be complemented by tribal-led cultural learning, introductions to key partners and project sites, and an array of research, training, and professional development activities. Through these varied engagements, the NSC, along with other AMLT staff and our close collaborators, will continue to coalesce as a community and team.

While it took significant time to get to this point, we could not be happier or more grateful to have the Native Stewardship Corps back on the ground working to support the vision and objectives of the Tribe and AMLT. We send a huge thank you to all our community members, partners, and supporters who have helped make the relaunch of the NSC a reality!